Volunteers provide free tax help to residents who make less than $60,000.
IRS-certified students, alumni and community volunteers helped local taxpayers complete 622 tax returns this year—free of charge—at Front Range Community College’s Westminster Campus. This was a 38% increase in the number of returns FRCC volunteers completed over the 2022 season.
Their assistance resulted in more than $1.1 million in federal and state tax refunds for area residents. The average income of the clients served this year was $31,349.
“We love being able to provide this learning opportunity for our students and an important service to our community,” said FRCC President Colleen Simpson, EdD. “Our accounting faculty members put in a lot of hours to give their students this hands-on work experience, and they make sure the volunteers are well trained to help the people in our area who need it most.”
How Does This Work?
Every tax season, the college’s Tax Help Colorado volunteers provide free tax assistance to people in our community who earn lower incomes. The service is designed to help hard-working families become more financially secure by providing free tax preparation assistance—through a partnership between Front Range Community College and the Tax Help Colorado program.
Who Are the Volunteers?
FRCC accounting program faculty members were able to train 20 students this year—more than twice the number they had last year. In addition to these student volunteers, 11 community volunteers contributed to the FRCC Tax Help site’s success this year. Many of them were prior students who chose to come back and volunteer.
“FRCC is very proud of our student and alumni volunteers and their commitment to serving this community,” said Dawn Reed, faculty member at FRCC.
Accounting faculty Kevin McFarlane adds: “The program also helps students develop customer service skills, achieve practical, hands-on experience and earn college credits.”
How Does This Help?
Tax preparation in Colorado can cost an average of $200. In addition to getting their taxes done for free, taxpayers may be eligible for valuable, refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit.
Tax preparers are trained to ensure the individuals and families they serve get the best refund possible. If a family earned $60,000 or less last year, it’s likely they qualify for the EITC—which can put up to $6,935 back in their pocket for paying bills, taking care of their children, or paying down debt.
About Front Range Community College
Front Range Community College offers more than 200 degrees and certificates in a wide variety of programs from locations in Boulder County, Larimer County and Westminster—as well as online. FRCC is a member of the Colorado Community College System.
About the Colorado Community College System
The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) is the state’s largest system of higher education, serving 114,000 students annually at 13 colleges and 35 locations across Colorado. Our open access mission ensures all Coloradans who aspire to enrich their lives have access to quality higher education opportunities.
